Flamengo overcomes hangover to gain momentum in the Brasileirão
This Sunday's match against Grêmio Prudente is seen as crucial for the run to the World Cup
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
When Flamengo takes the field this Sunday (23.05), at 18:30 pm, at Maracanã, against Grêmio Prudente, they will have only one thought: not to lose points at home in the Brasileirão. Trying to make the most of the strength of their fans, in the points-based championship, the Rubro-negro overcame the hangover caused by the elimination in the Libertadores and will go all out to overcome the São Paulo team, which is coming off a good victory (4-0, against Atlético – MG).
Without Adriano and Petkovic for this game, the Rubro-Negro's lineup has become a mystery. However, despite this "problem," the goal is to win to gain momentum in the Brazilian Championship.
"We really need this win. Everyone here knows how important it is to win at home in a championship like this. Our goal is to get as many points as possible before the World Cup break, and we have five games to do that. We'll go into the field with some absences, but without changing the structure of the team, which has played well in recent matches," said Rubro-Negro coach Rogério Lourenço.
Knowing the importance of showing that the loss of the Libertadores will not affect the Brasileirão, the players agree with the coach's stance.
"We can't dwell on what happened any longer, no matter how painful it may seem. Our focus right now is on the Brazilian Championship. We have to fight for our second title and to return to the Libertadores," said Ronaldo Angelim, followed by a confident coach.
"Our group showed greatness against Universidad de Chile, and that's why I'm confident we can have a great Brasileirão. The reaction needs to be immediate. Obviously, any elimination causes pain, but life goes on. We have to move forward and overcome all of this. We have five games until the World Cup break, and we have no time for regrets. We're focused on Barueri and getting the three points," Rogério added.
Two other important facts further motivate the Flamengo players. Having only reached the first division in 2009, Barueri and Flamengo have only faced each other twice. The Rio de Janeiro team failed to emerge victorious. They drew at Maracanã and lost 2-0 in São Paulo. This result, incidentally, marked the team's path to their sixth championship.
TECHNICAL SHEET
FLAMENGO x GRÊMIO PRUDENTE (SP)
Location: Maracanã – Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Date: May 23, 2010 (Sunday)
Time: 18:30 (from Brasilia)
Referee: Francisco Nascimento (AL)
Assistants: Alessandro Rocha (Fifa-AL) and Pedro de Araújo (AL)
FLAMENGO: Bruno, Leonardo Moura, David, Ronaldo Angelim and Juan; Toró, Willians, Vinícius Pacheco (Fernando or Ramon) and Michael; Vágner Love and Bruno Mezenga (V. Pacheco).
Coach: Rogério Lourenço
GRÊMIO PRUDENTE: Márcio, Leonardo, Denis and Diego; Sasha, Anderson, João Vitor, Flavinho and Marcelo Oliveira; Henrique Dias and Araújo
Coach: Toninho Cecílio
Without Adriano and Petkovic for this game, the Rubro-Negro's lineup has become a mystery. However, despite this "problem," the goal is to win to gain momentum in the Brazilian Championship.
"We really need this win. Everyone here knows how important it is to win at home in a championship like this. Our goal is to get as many points as possible before the World Cup break, and we have five games to do that. We'll go into the field with some absences, but without changing the structure of the team, which has played well in recent matches," said Rubro-Negro coach Rogério Lourenço.
Knowing the importance of showing that the loss of the Libertadores will not affect the Brasileirão, the players agree with the coach's stance.
"We can't dwell on what happened any longer, no matter how painful it may seem. Our focus right now is on the Brazilian Championship. We have to fight for our second title and to return to the Libertadores," said Ronaldo Angelim, followed by a confident coach.
"Our group showed greatness against Universidad de Chile, and that's why I'm confident we can have a great Brasileirão. The reaction needs to be immediate. Obviously, any elimination causes pain, but life goes on. We have to move forward and overcome all of this. We have five games until the World Cup break, and we have no time for regrets. We're focused on Barueri and getting the three points," Rogério added.
Two other important facts further motivate the Flamengo players. Having only reached the first division in 2009, Barueri and Flamengo have only faced each other twice. The Rio de Janeiro team failed to emerge victorious. They drew at Maracanã and lost 2-0 in São Paulo. This result, incidentally, marked the team's path to their sixth championship.
TECHNICAL SHEET
FLAMENGO x GRÊMIO PRUDENTE (SP)
Location: Maracanã – Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Date: May 23, 2010 (Sunday)
Time: 18:30 (from Brasilia)
Referee: Francisco Nascimento (AL)
Assistants: Alessandro Rocha (Fifa-AL) and Pedro de Araújo (AL)
FLAMENGO: Bruno, Leonardo Moura, David, Ronaldo Angelim and Juan; Toró, Willians, Vinícius Pacheco (Fernando or Ramon) and Michael; Vágner Love and Bruno Mezenga (V. Pacheco).
Coach: Rogério Lourenço
GRÊMIO PRUDENTE: Márcio, Leonardo, Denis and Diego; Sasha, Anderson, João Vitor, Flavinho and Marcelo Oliveira; Henrique Dias and Araújo
Coach: Toninho Cecílio